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For many paper folding projects, you need to start with a square piece of paper with four equal sides. Most of the paper you have laying around, however, is probably rectangular. Luckily, there are two easy ways to turn a rectangle into a square without using a ruler. If you have two equal sheets of paper, you can even do it without folds.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using a Quick Fold

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    This brings the short side of the paper over to one of the long sides. Line up these two edges and crease the fold. You should now have a right triangle made from the folded sheet, plus an extra rectangle of single-sheet paper. [1]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    Cut along the edge of the triangle to separate it from the extra paper. [2]
    • If you do not have scissors, fold the small rectangle over the triangle and crease well. Unfold the paper. Press down hard on the small rectangle with one hand, and on the rest of the paper with the other. Slowly move your hands apart to tear along the crease. [3]
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    You now have a perfect square with a diagonal crease in it. [4]
    • To make the crease less obvious, flip the paper over and fold it the other way along the same crease.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Making a Square without Any Creases

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    These should be exactly the same size.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    Place the vertical and horizontal pieces of paper on a flat surface.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    Align the bottom and left edges.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    Using the top sheet of paper as a guide, cut through the lower sheet of paper where it sticks out. The remaining lower piece is a perfect square. [5]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
    If you need more square sheets of paper, just place the one you made over another rectangle. Trace around it, then cut out the shape.
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  • Question
    How do I make a decagon prism?
    Goodvillain034
    Community Answer
    That would be 3-D papercraft. Print a "net" (which has a flattened version of the shape along with some tabs) and cut out the outside of the shape. Then make creases along the dotted lines, and fold it up like 3-D origami. To hold it in place, glue the tabs to the inside. This can take some time and practice, but the overall result is pretty good.
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